Chemical Bonds Quiz

By Susan K. Lewis

Posted 01.27.11

NOVA

What makes diamond the hardest substance in the world and graphite—the stuff of pencil lead—comparatively so soft? Both are made of nothing but carbon atoms. The answer lies in the chemical bonds among those atoms and how they give rise to different structures. In this quiz, explore what chemical bonding is, and how it accounts for the properties of different materials.

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